


Trojan Horse

by FrozenHearts



Series: Cor Has Way Too Many Children [4]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Alternate Universe - Assassin's Creed Fusion, Ancient Greece, Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Freeform, Assassins & Hitmen, Awkward Tension, Battle, Boys Kissing, Caves, Episode Gladiolus DLC, Episode Gladiolus Spoilers, Gen, Ignis mistakes Alexios for Gladio, Kissing, M/M, Meet the Family, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Modern Assassins (Assassin's Creed), Mythology References, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Revenge, Summons & Summoning Meta, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-06-25 17:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19749982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: With dark hair and well-defined muscles, Prompto and Noctis chalked it up to Ignis' worry when they approached the haven.It was an honest mistake, really.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started Assassin's Creed Odyssey today and thought "hey what if Cor adopted these two mercernary disasters on top of Prompto, Cloud, Link and whoever else I can think of?"

After the whole ordeal with Cloud, everyone was more than happy to put the incident at the Honey Bee Inn behind them. After helping Aerith, Tifa and Cloud gather whatever supplies they needed before Cor sent them off, Cloud whining that "Cor, I don't need a babysitter!" to which Cor replied "After that whole debacle, yeah, you do." 

Noctis watched as Prompto approached his brother slowly, skinny arms trembling as he grabbed Cloud for one final hug before Cloud and his teo friends walked through the crowd towards the station. Surprisingly, Cor hanged back, shoving his hands in his pockets as Prompto rejoined their group. 

"Hey, you, uh, feeling okay?" Noctis asked softly, taking Prompto's shoulder and squeezing it gently.

Prompto gave him a tired grin, "Yeah, Noct. I'll be fine, it's just stressful, I guess."

Noctis nodded; stressful was an understatement- he knew he was the prince and all, but watching Prompto pace around their hotel room while the other three raced to rescue his brother from some brothel in a weird city. Prompto'a shoulders sagged with relief as he let out a heavy breath, a stressed smile on his face.

"Now I suppose Dad is gonna try to find Link," Prompto said."

Right. It was still weird to think that Cor Leonis was hus best friend's dad, but Noctis knew he didn't have the right to say anything, considering his dad was the freaking king of the country. Noctis nodded, gesturing for Prompto to continue.

"Cor adopted a lot of us, you know," Prompto said, "I kept telling him I wanted tou guys to meet them."

Noctis chuckled, "I can't really picture The Immortal changing diapers- no offense, dude."

He was vaguely aware of Cor eyeing them as they stood in the middle of the square. No one seemed to be paying them any mind, jostling and bumbling to get to the train platforms or into restaurants or squeeze behind market stalls. 

"None of us were adopted by him as babies," Prompto said, "We're all young adults for the most part."

Noctis licked his lips, "How old is Cloud, exactly? I mean, we're, like, twenty, he didn't look that much older."

From the corner of his eye, Noctis could see Cor smirking, disguising it as something he was looking at on his phone. 

"He's like Gladio and Ignis's age," Prompto shrugged. Footsteps sounded and Noctis turned to see Gladio and Ignis talking to Cor. Noctis jutted his chin at them, "Looks like the lovers are in trouble."

"Yo, Iggy would murder you if he heard you say that," Prompto laughed, "Like, he would make it look like an accident or some shit."

Noctis merely shrugged. It wasn't exactly news that Gladio and Ignis had gotten together. After knowing each other for so long, and considering their line of work, pursuing romantic entanglements outside of the royal household were slim to none. It ran the risk of assassination attempts, money laundering, papparazzi ambushes and all the other stuff that came with being the prince. Or his Shield. Or Advisor- even Prompto had gotten some flack from the press before Cor put a tight lid on it. 

"Whatever it is, Ignis doesn't look too happy," Noctis leaned into Prompto, "Gladio looks pretty guilty about it too."

"Eh, he's a big boy," Prompto blew a raspberry, "Oh, shit they're coming."

Noctis raised an eyebrow as the other three stalked over, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. While Ignis's shoulders were tense, but hr remained cordial as Cor cleared his throat.

"Prompto, I'm sorry about the whole ordeal," Cor apologized, "Tifa and Aerith said they would text or call either me or you if he does something stupid again."

"What about if they find Link?" Prompto asked.

Cor scratched his chin, "That's gonna be a tough one, honestly. He could be anywhere in Eos, in Hyrule- maybe one of the Greek islands-"

Noctis exchanged a look with Ignis and Gladio, opening his mouth to ask a question.

"You really should pay more attention in class, Noct," Ignis said, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. 

"So, if we find something we'll call you," Prompto said, "and vice versa, okay?"

Cor scrubbed a hand over his face, "Prompto, you need to focus on your friends-"

"But Link is my family," Prompto insisted, "And you made me sit out on helping Cloud."

"Alright, alright," Cor relented, then to Noctis and Ignis, "Can I trust you two to help with this?"

Noctis shrugged, "Sure? I guess let us know what to look for?"

Cor nodded once, eyes steely as he beckoned for Gladio to follow him.

"Alright," Cor said, keep tabs with me. Watch each other's backs. I need Gladio with me for a quick job, I'll keep you updated."

There was an awkward shuffle as Gladio leaned over and gave Ignis a quick peck on the cheek, Ignis saying something too quiet to hear, but he didn't look mad anymore. 

"Where do you want us to start?" Prompto asked, wringing his hands.

"You can't just leave your duties, son."

Noctis swallowed. His own dad had said that many a time- when Noctis didn't want to do his homework, when he tried sneaking out of boring meeting to go to the arcade or when he wanted to sleep in on a Saturday instead of doing whatever royal lessons Ignis had planned for him that day.

Noctis could see the debate warring in Prompto's eyes as he floundered for an answer, fiddling with his wristband until it looked like he would rip it. 

"The Greek islands are not far from Galdin Quay," Cor finally said, "I know you need the ferry sooner or later so you'll still be able to do your job while searching for Link there."

Prompto nodded, face flushed as he pressed, "Why would we go to the Greek Islands, though?"

Ignis surprisingly chimed in, "Indeed, it seems a bit of a detour."

"Think of it as a bonus," Cor said, "Greece is a hotbed of godly activity-"

"You think he can grab a few new Summons while they're there?" Gladio said gruffly, "to get stronger?"

Noctis crossed his arms, shrugging, "Works for me- how about it, Iggy?"

He looked at Ignis, at his advisor's tense shoulders, how his eyes narrowed as his gaze flickered between Gladio and Prompto. He worried his lip between his teeth, no doubt weighing the pros and cons, but once Prompto asked oh so softly, "Iggy? Is that okay?" he melted.

"I would never want to hinder you from protecting your family," Ignis said clearly, "it is more than okay."

"With that settled," Cor coughed, "My phone will be on but I don't know how great the service will be."

Noctis knew that would put a doozy on things, but it couldn't be helped. With that in mind, Noctis stretched, feeling his joints pop at the motion.

"Well, now that that's settled," he announced with as much royal air as he could muster, "to the Greek Islands we go."

\--------

Kassandra honestly had no idea where she was. Alexios had sent a letter with Ikaros telling her where that stupid Cyclops had taken him, somewhere in Kefalonia of all places- there were cultists everywhere, she was supposed to be finding the doors to Atlantis and Alexios mentioned something about helping some healer find herbs and killing Medusa but of course he had to anger the wrong people and of course Kassandra had to fish him out. 

The area was definitely not built the same way as the Greek Islands were- she found herself in one giant mass of land, surrounded by dense green trees and there were walls of mortar and concrete with irin pillars and it reminded her....

"Cor," Kassandra breathed as she hiked up a beaten path, wiping dust and dirt and bugs off her armor; she appreciated that it wasn't as hot as it was back home, but her armor was hot to the touch, the leather strips on her waistband slick and sticky as they slapped against her legs. 

A noise sounded overhead and Kassandra looked up to see Ikaros circling overhead. The bird swooped down as she raised her arm for him to land, nuzzling its beak affectionately into her cheek. 

"Okay, Ikaros," Kassandra said, looking around at the trees lining the path, "You think you can be the best bird in the world and take me to Pateras?"


	2. Chapter 2

Gladio was a fan of camping, but he never thought he would be camping like this- underground with only Cor and Cup Noodles for company on his way to fight an ancient divine being. Cor wasn't saying much after everything that happened with Cloud, but he didn't blame them. If it had happened to Iris, she'd never be allowed to leave the manor for the rest if her life. 

"Hey, you think they'll find him?" Gladiolus cleared his throat, feeling his limbs start aching as they neared the haven- it was lit with eerie red lights, smoke twirling towards the stalatites hanging from the cavern ceiling. His muscles twinged as he moved to sit, falling heavily onto the cave floor.

"Who?" Cor asked with a tone thag told Gladio he very much knew who they were talking about.

"Link," Gladio said, "Your other kid, apparently. How many do you have anyway?"

Cor pursed his lips, picking up a nearby stick to throw in the middle of a pit, "Well, Cloud was the first before Prompto. Found them in a Shinra Imperial facility being experimented on."

Gladio balked, "Experimented?"

Cor nodded, nudging the stick with his foot, "They were pumping Cloud with mana- similar to the Scourge, but has more manmade properties."

Gladio hummed. As part of background checks, Ignis and Gladio knew that Prompto was not entirely normal. With demon blood pumping through his veins, Ignis and Gladio knew that if anything were to happen, they unfortunately had to put Noctis first.

Prompto was a sweet kid, he was. He had an inkling that Prompto didn't even know about his heritage, but living with Cloud probably gave him a few ideas. Gladio watched as Cor reached into his pack, taking out two cup noodles and handing him one. 

"Cloud had it worse when we found him," Cor sighed, tearing the cup noodle open, "Withdrawal symptoms, nightmares- his eyes still have that glow in the dark effect, but we got used to it the more we lived together."

Right, Gladio remembered seeing that odd green glow in Cloud's eyes, how his pupils turned into skinny, almost non-existent lines. 

"What about Link?" Gladio asked, "Wanna share with the class?"

Cor chuckled, "Link is.... a special case."

"You seem to come across a lot of those."

"Right- Link is not human, though. He's an elf, hails from Hyrule for the most part- once we discovered he was living in the sky, it was weird."

"The sky?" Gladio laughed, "You make Link sound like a god or something."

Cor shrugged, careful not to spill his noodles befire they could even cook them, "He's been reincarnated so many times, he may as well be. Have you ever heard of the Hero of Time?"

It wasn't a well known story. He knew it from his history books, Ignis filling in the blanks and offering corrections when the book was wrong. A young man offered protection from the Goddess Hylia, sworn to protect the world from the King of Evil and Darkness. Apparently that was Link. 

"You know, if I find him in this time, I need to congratulate him," Cor said, "He'll be... one hundred and twenty-three I believe."

"And you think you'll be able to find signs of him in the Greek Islands?" Gladio said, "What if he isn't there?"

Cor wrinkled his nose, "Then we move on. Kasssndra and Alexios should be able to help, though, they're good at finding lost things." He put his cup down carefully, leaning forward as he took a silver lighter from his pocket, "You want to cook yours first?"

"Sure," Gladio opened his own cup, "Who're Kassandra and Alexios? Friends of yours?"

"Of a sort," Cor admitted, "They live on the Greek Islands- Regis, Clarus and I came across them as kids during our travels."

"So you adopted them too?" Gladio snorted as he held his cup noodles gingerly over the ever growing flames in their small pit.

"No. They're from Sparta specifically," Cor explained, "We were forced to leave them there."

"Why?" Gladio asked, "You saying my dad and Reggie would have left poor defenseless kids there?"

He didn't miss the gleam in Cor's eye as he said coldly, "Do you know anything about what kind of place Sparta is, Gladiolus?"

"Enlighten me."

So he sat there and listened as Cor recalled coming across whole islands of people who lived as if it was the dark ages. Leather and gold armor, feathered helmets and strappy sandals. Burly men with sweat-slicked bodies and teeth cracked with blood. Women who laboured in the hot sun and threw boulders as big as themselves in wheat fields. Gods and sacrfices and temples run red with offerings of the enemies they slaughtered.

Gladio always thought he had it rough, growing up under the King's Shield- train here, guard Noctis there. Homework then to the mats it was. No time for friends, no time for stupid trips to the mall, no time for romance. Gladio felt his face burn slightly- he was glad for Ignis, he knew he was very lucky in that department of his life. 

"Sparta sounds rough," Gladio ran a hand through his hair. He winced as he frlt the flames brush the edges of his fingers, hot liquid sloshing inside the foam cup, "What about when they were babies?"

"Kassandra was a little girl at the time, Alexios having been just born but they weren't raised by anyone else after a certain age- they were thrown off a cliff and left to die."

Gladio spluttered around the rim of his cup, hot broth and sweet corn spewing everywhere, "I'm sorry, what?!"

"That's how they do it in Sparta," Cor said matter-of-factly, "Alexios was deemed a weak baby, so he was sacrificed to Poseidon. Kassandra was thrown after him after trying to save her baby brother."

Gladio gulped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He could feel the liquid burn in his chest as he swallowed, pounding his chest with his fist.

"Sorry, just... wasn't expecting that," Gladio apologized, "it's fucking brutal, is all."

Cor waggled his eyebrows, "With a reaction like that, you won't know what's coming from Gilgamesh."

"You really think this will make me stronger for Noctis?" Gladio asked.

Cor sighed, "You second-guessing this now? After that little tiff with Ignis? You better not."

Before Gladio could say anything, a sharp cawing caught their attention, Cor putting his cup down to reach for his katana in its sheath. Gladio stiffened, eyeing the ceiling as the sound came again. 

"Ikaros?" Cor frowned as a stunning brown eagle flew towards them, perching perfectly on Cor's shoulder and poked his cheek with a sharp beak. Gladio watched as Cor scratched the bird's head, "I thought you were with thr twins, buddy?"

The bird chirped, blinking owlishly.

"You know this bird?" Gladio asked, "How'd it even get underground?" 

"Trust me, if Ikaros is here, Kassandra or Alexios can't be too far behind," Cor warned him. 

"You think they're in trouble?"

Cor's face was grim as he ran his hands along the bird's wings. He rolled his neck, the pop of his joints making Ikaros jump ever so slightly, "It's possible. Ikaros never leaves Alexios or Kassandra unless something dire happened."

\-------

Alexios just wanted to find herbs for the really cute healer- a few sprigs of ginger and lilypads on the water's edge, maybe a few stalks of foxglove and he'd be rewarded with a kiss as well as a name. He didn't think the Cyclops would be after him- the goat incident was a few weeks ago. Now he was being dragged through the sand of a wet, dank cave, the Cyclops' henchmen dragging him by his ankles through the mud. 

"Is this really necessary?" Alexios groaned, "You got your eye, and a nice goat stew!"

"The Cyclops will make an example of you," was all the henchman gripping his right ankle said. Alexios let his hair drag as he tried to catch a glimpse upside down of the cave entrance. The light was too bright to look at- either it was the beginning of high noon or they clobbered him over the head a little too hard. 

He just hoped Ikaros found Kassandra in time. She would know what to do, havung been a mercenary a few months longer than himself. She was strong and brave and she was the one to shove the Cyclops' eye up that goat's ass anyway! There was no reason for them to kidnap him!

The sound of gurgling water made Alexios frown, "Why are we here? If you wanted to take a dip we were already at the beach!"

"The Cyclops does not take kindly to humiliation mithios," the henchman snapped, pulling his leg a little too hard. Alexios gasped with relief when they let him go, dumping him half-heartedly at the water's edge. Pebbles dug into his calves, cold water lapping at his toes.

Heaving a sigh, Alexios stared up at the ceiling of the cavern, catching glimpses of little bits of gems and precious metals embedded in the rock. 

He really hoped Kassandra came soon. 

\------

There was no sign of Link as far as Ignis was concerned, upon scouring the third village they'd come across on the island of Kefalonia. It was quite easy to get to the island, a small sandbar trailing from the beaches of Galdin Quay to the coast of Kefalonia. Prompto and Noctis were indubitable as they scoured the white sands and waded ankle deep into clear blue waters. 

"Noct, just be careful not to fall in!" Ignis called as he watched Noctis shove his hands into the sand, his face a hair's breath away from the shallow waters. 

"We're fine, Iggy!" Noctis yelled back, "You should join us! The water's great!"

Ignis crossed his arms, "Perhaps another time. We should probably stop for lunch soon!"

At the mere prospect of food, Prompto and Noctis were clambering hurriedly out of the water, shoving amd laughing as sand stuck to the soles of their feet; Prompto cackled as Noctis just barely avoided stepping on a crab's shell.

"We should bring Gladio when he comes back," Noctis clapped Ignis on the back, "You guys can do a little beach date or something."

Ignis didn't even deign giving Noctis a response, instead shielding his eyes from the sun's glare as he scanned the edge of the beach where a beaten path sprawled into beautiful green hills. He could see the tops of a cave poking out of the mountainside, small yellow dots signaling torches were currently lit at the entrance.

"Prompto, did Link have an affinity for exploring caverns and such?" Ignis asked.

"Sometimes, yeah," Prompto followed his gaze to the cavern up the hill, "You think he might be in there?"

"It's worth a shot," Noctis agreed, "and if there's a haven in there, we can hunker down and prepare ourselves for whatever's in there."

Ignis pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose- the beaches were definitely stunning, something Gladio would have loved. 

"A shame Gladio isn't here," Ignis shook his head, "He always did like letting off a little steam."

"Ignis, hearing about your relationship with Gladio is like hearing about your parents discussing the act itself," Noctis laughed.

Ignis smirked, "Well, children, we should get going, lest Link ups it and leaves, no?"

Prompto jabbed him before racing up the path with a fast "You're it!", Noctis pulling Ignis along into the chase.


	3. Chapter 3

Cor and Gladio were wary as they travelled deeper into the caverns, shimmying down old rotten ramp of wood and slipping on glistening stone steps. Ikaros was always hovering just above them, eyeing Gladio curiously, but he ignored the bird as he followed Cor. 

"Ikaros never liked caves," Cor explained, "so the fact he followed Kassandra or Alexios into one is discerning."

Gladio didn't say anything as he spotted a clearing just over Cor's shoulder. It looked like another haven, with small candles littering the floor alongside the red lights in the rock. There was a statue positioned by the left side of the haven, the pedestal littered with offerings- flowers, small pouches of coins, and half-eaten food. 

"Is that Gilgamesh?" Gladio asked as he and Cor settled at the campfire. Cor had just took out his lighter when they heard it.

"No! T'is I, Hermes! Messenger of Athena, the God of... of Swiftness!"

Gladio exchanged a look with Cor, who simply smirked. The voice was deep, thr timbre matching that if a young woman. She sounded nervous but managed to keep her composure; the question was, where was she hiding? Ad Gladio looked around, he noted how small the clearing was, there weren't many places to go.

Cor tapped his shoulder, pointing to the feet of the statue- narrowing his eyes, Gladio stared at the pedestal to see a pair of sandaled feet squirming in the sand.

"I see," Cor called back with a wry smile, "And what exactly have you come here for?"

A moment of silence.

"I seek to aid you in your quest!" the woman continued, "For I have heard of a tragic soul in need of your help!"

Gladio snickered as Cor raised an eyebrow, "You speak of Gilgamesh, do you not?"

The woman spluttered from her hiding spot, breaking character as she blurted, "It's Alexios! Malaka, who is Gilgamesh?!"

"Knew it," Cor teased, "Come out, Kassandra. We know you're there."

"No! It is I, Hermes!" Kassandra tried pitching her voice even lower, the timbre cracking as she failed to manage it. After a few seconds, the woman revealed herself, side-stepping out into the open. She wore armor made of leather and silver, red cloth embroidered with gold, swathed around her neck and arms. Tall strappy sandals adorned her legs and feet- Gladio could see small scars from where she must have stepped on or got hit with small rocks and pebbles. 

"Now," Cor crossed his arms as Kassandra approached, "What happened with Alexios?"

Kassandra was smug as she replied, "What didn't happen to Alexios?"

Cor rubbed his temple, "Kassandra...."

Kassandra rasied her hands in defense, "Alright, alright! He angered the Cyclops, shoved his eye up an ass's, well, ass."

Gladio couldn't help but chuckle, eyes tearing up at the annoyrd glare Cor sent him. 

"And you didn't think to go get him?" Cor deadpanned, "What were you doing?"

"For one," Kassandra raised her pointer finger, "I was swimming halfway across the ocean because Poseidon was angered and decided to smash my boat and my crew." At Cor's gesture to continue, Kassandra raised a second finger, adding, "And two, Alexios said he eas helping soke healer find herbs before going off to find the doors to Atlantis. I didn't think the Cyclops would find either of us that far from Kefalonia."

Okay, it seemed Greece had a lot more godly activity than Cor first let on. Gladio remembered reading the story of Atlantis as part of his college English class, when they covered ancient mythologies as part of their midterms. Ignis ended up helping him through the class when they had off periods, but the name Atlantis was somewhat familiar. 

Maybe it was possible for Prompto to find Link over on the islands after all?

"Well," Cor sighed, breaking through Gladio's thoughts, "If you're here, you may as well help us."

Kassandra seemed to perk up, brown eyes bright with excitement. Looking past it, Gladio could see she was tired, long brown hair falling out her carefully done braid, sweat gleaming on (bigger than he expected) muscles. Nevertheless, she unstrapped a long-poled axe from her back, gripping tight as she lifted it readily.

"Gilgamesh, yes?" she asked with a beaming smile, "We'll go now?"

Cor approached her, gently pushing the weapon down, "Your enthusiasm is noted, but it will get you killed."

Kassandra rolled her eyes, "No! I fought off Timotheus the Crazy Lover! The Titans! Your Gilgamesh won't do anything I can't handle!"

Gladio heaved a sigh. He remembered when he was once headstrong like that. Ready to take on the world, no concern for those at your back. It was an easy way for people to get hurt.

For people to get killed, really. Gladio cleared his throat, patting the ground next to him. Kassandra regarded him oddly, cocking her head like a confused puppy. 

"Sit with us," Gladio offered, "Have something to eat, rest up. There's a lot to explain, and knowing now rather than later will help."

She regarded him with a cool gaze, "You will explain?"

Gladio nodded, "As much as I can."

Kassandra dropped her axe so it clattered loudly on the ground. The noise made both himself and Cor jump, echoing loudly against the stone. She stalked over to the campfire, plopping herself down with a heavy thud to sit cross-legged across from him. Her mouth was set in a thin line as she eyed him warily.

"Talk," she demanded.

So he did, Cor filling in the little details and making sure she had at least one of their Cup Noodle meals as the conversation went on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I've updated this story here goes

Noctis decided, as he and Prompto raced into the cave, leaving Ignis to try and catch up with his stupid fancy shoes, that he very much did not want to be wet and sticky anymore, thank you very much. 

It wasn't that it was a problem, considering that he and the guys had trekked through multiple caverns and underground pools in order to obtain whatever rare mythril paints Cindy needed for the garage, but still; he wasn't a fan of wet socks and the feeling of seaweed sticking to his legs as he tried to catch up with Prompto.

"C'mon, Noct!" Prompto's voice echoed around the cave, "This way- I see a clearing!"

"Just a little faster," Noctis muttered as he forced his aching legs to keep going, desoite the fact he wanted to just drop to the floor and rest right there. Ignis had finally caught up, his shoes squeaking loudly against the rock as he ran alongside him. 

"This better be worth it," Ignis quipped as they went, "these shoes are Valentino."

Noctis laughed, "And who told you to wear them?"

A huff, and Ignis was bitter as he said, "Gladio said they looked nice..."

And there it was. Honestly, Noctis didn't know how they went so long without dating prior to this trip- they were practically made for each other! Every day, it was "Gladio did this!" or a snarky "You wouldn't believe what Ignis did during training," not to mention the funny faces Gladio would throw Ignis's way during a particularly boring council meeting.

Nights in the tents were... awkward, but Noctis pushed the thought away as they finally caught up to Prompto, careening to a stop as they slid on wet rocks. 

It was, as Prompto said, a clearing, with high ceilings and small pools of crystal blue water here and there. Torches were buried into the rock walls, orange flames casting an eerie glow around what looked like a platform smack in the middle, elevated slightly above what looked like a tiny moat.

Narrowing his eyes, Noctis looked around, reaching for one of Ignis's sleeves- it wouldn't do to get lost, considerijg how dark it was.

He finally caught sight of Prompto as he ducked behind a pillar of rock just off to the left, a flash of blue surrounding him as he summoned his gun.

"Iggy, something's wrong"" Noctis warned him, pulling a magic flask discreetly from his pocket. Ice magic made the glass cold agaijst his skin, almost burning his palm with frostbite.

"Indeed," was all Ignis said as he crouched low, guiding Noctis along the wall until they found a suitable hiding place. Between two pillars of slimy rock, they could see a group of men approach the platform in the center, laughing and shoving each other playfully. Behind them was another guy, almost Gladio's size and stature as he rubbed his arms with something, fiddling with the straps of peculiar looking armor. 

"Do you recognize anything?" Noctis turned to his advisor, who had a worried look in his eye.

"Unfortunately, no," Ignis said regrettably, "but Cor did say we are in the Greek Islands; the books must not have any information."

There was an underlying bitterness there, but Noctis didn't press, steeling his gaze as one of them barked orders in an odd language.

"They speaking Greek?" Noctis asked.

Ignis hummed in agreement, quietly summoning his daggers as they watched even more men walk in, this time wearing leather armor to go with heavy metal boots. Their chestplates were coated with something rusty and one look at it made Noctis want to throw up.

"It seems they have a captive," Ignis pointed out as a man was dragged forcibly into the cave, one of the thugs clamping a meaty hand onto a leg, pullijg a squirming body behind them.

The man was saying something, trying to persuade them to let him go no doubt until the thug tightened his grip and there was a sickening crack followed by an agonizrd scream-

"ALEXIOS!"

Ignis and Noctis jumped at the sound, the absolute fear in Prompto's voice as he suddenly darted forward, bullets ricocheting off the cavern walls-

"Prompto! Stay back-!" the mam tried to warn him to no avail, crying out as the thug holding him threw him across the cave floor with an angry bellow.

Noctis's heart was hammering against his ribcage, and he watched with bated breath as the man rolled to a stop, smacking his head against the platform. Prompto was still going strong, gunpowder exploding from the barrell of his gun with each shot.

He felt Ignis push him back further behind the pillar, "Highness, you must stay hidden, it's too dangerous with the amount of bullets ricocheting."

Noctis opened his mouth to protest, only to clamp it shut when nothing but a pathetic whine came out- Ignis was right, he realized. There was no way for him to do anything without risking getting hit, and from the looks of it, these guys were too many and too big to take head-on.

Unless....

Noctis glanced down at the flask he held, bright white magic swirling inside.

"I can throw this," Noctis showed Ignis, "and I'll stay put. After, when they're all frozen, you can jump in and help Prompto. Sound like a plan?"

Ignis nodded once, pushing his glasses up his nose. Noctis peered out from behind the pillar, and once he was sure he had a spot, he slowly lobbed it towards the middle.

With a satisfying crack, it burst on the platform, exploding in a flurry of ice and snow just as Ignis readied his daggers.

\-----

Gladio knew he didn't want to get on Kassandra's bad side once they made it through the puzzles Gilgamesh left as part of his trial.

The first one was a simple strength test, with stone columns lining the edges, leaving a perfectly capable arena for the three of them to fight whatever monster was thrown their way.

Well, Cor somehow managed to get out of fighting, watching with crossed arms amd a stony glare from the sidelines as Gladio and Kassandra pressed themselves back to back in the middle of the arena.

"You go left, I go right?" Gladio suggested, surprised at the feel of her back against his. Her muscles were tight, smooth planes of sinew and scars that he could feel through the fabric of his shirt. From the corner of his eye, he saw how her biceps seemed to bulge, her the tendons in her wrists flexing as she spun one of her swords in confident hands.

"Ha! I go everywhere!" Kassandra laughed, and then a monster- a Naga no less, with long black hair, a sultry face and thick green scales- was pulled up through a hole in the floor, claws already swiping.

Gladio found himself staring dumbly at Kassandra as she made quick work of the creature, face paling as he watched her collect trophies and skin the cold, dead body.

The other rooms and challenges went on similarly, until Gladio had resigned himself to watching on the sidelines with Cor, a smug look on the guy's face as Gladio joined him reluctantly. 

"Too much for you?" Cor teased as Kassandra let out a mighty roar, cleaving a Reaper in two with a shining gold spear.

"Maybe a little," Gladio squeaked as he watched the woman turn just as a giant spider eruptes from an unseen crack in the wall and she pulled a stone pillar out of the ground like it was nothing to bash the thing's skull in. "You sure she isn't a demon?"

Cor shrugged, "When Kassandra wants to fight, she goes all out."

"You can say that again," Gladio agreed, "she'd make an amazing Glaive, that's for sure."

A crack, and they watched as Kassandra dropped the stone column, dust and dirt exploding around her as she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"She and Alexios were on the Glaives for a bit," Cor said, "Alexios deviated to train the Crownsguard for a time before they both decided to go back home."

Kassandra turned to them, wiping dirt and blood off her hands. Her hair was falling out of its braid, sticking to her face and neck, but she didn't care, her brown eyes on fire as she practically snarled, "Gilgamesh calls this a challenge?"

"He is a God, Kassandra," Cor reminded her.

Another laugh- Gladio was pretty sure this woman was going to haunt his dreams, and not in a sexy way.

"I spit on his godhood," Kassandra demonstrated by spitting a glob of red at her feet, "He hasn't seen what true strength looks like."

And then she stalked off down the corridor opposite them (when had that opened up?), whistling sharply when Cor and Gladio were being decidedly too slow.

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse any botched Greek in terms of language, history, locations and mythology- I googled the everything so they might not be accurate and I unfortunately don't speak the language


End file.
